LONDON (AFP) - Legendary British rock band Queen are back in full studio recording sessions for the first time since their iconic frontman Freddie Mercury died in 1991, the group's guitarist Brian May said. The 59-year-old told AFP that he and Queen drummer Roger Taylor had joined forces with former Free vocalist Paul Rodgers and had already worked up a handful of new tracks. The trio toured Europe and Japan in 2005 and North America earlier this year in what was the first Queen tour since 1986. Former astronomy student May has been busy with his new book about space entitled "Bang! The Complete History of the Universe", but insisted he had not swapped the plectrum for the pen permanently. "The music is not on hold," the guitar legend said. "We have
May and Taylor have occasionally been in the studio together since Mercury died -- bassist John Deacon retired in the late 1990s -- but this is the first time they have had a lengthy recording session working on new material.
And May said the Queen plus Paul Rodgers show could hit the stage again.
"It's on the cards: we might do some more touring depending on how we feel," he said.
May wrote on his website that the trio were back in the studio Wednesday to work on more new tracks.
He said the songs were "epic" and a diversion from anything Queen or Rodgers had done before.
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